Teenage Jet Setters Target Dubbo This WeekendTweetAKA media Three of Australia’s top kart racers will have no time for rest ahead of the Rotax Nationals to be held at the Lincoln County Raceway in Dubbo, New South Wales this weekend. Last weekend, Sydney’s Joseph Mawson and James Abela were racing in France at Round Two of the CIK-FIA Under 18 World Championship and Academy Trophy while Victorian Thomas Randle contested a round of the Super One Series in England. The trio return to Australia tomorrow morning, before repacking their bags and heading to Dubbo for the prestigious event.
Mawson will start as one of the favourites in the Rotax Light category, where he will line up against his karting idol – 12-time National Champion David Sera, while Abela and Randle will contest the Junior Rotax championship. Since moving to the senior ranks at the end of 2011 Mawson has only raced once against Sera, as the latter has focused on his Formula Ford commitments in 2012, but the challenge is something he is excited about. “Racing against Dave earlier this year was an amazing experience but he’s not the only one out there this weekend. There’s going to be some very tough competition,” said Mawson. “I've come straight from an overseas event into an Australian race before when a couple of years ago when I raced in Las Vegas and then South Australia the week after. I won that weekend, so hopefully I can continue the trend this weekend.
"The travel is something that I'm getting used to, I think I’ll be ok for the weekend but it will be next week when I get back into a normal life that it (the jetlag) will hit me.” The last time both Sera and Mawson competed in the same event at Dubbo was in 2006 when Sera was victorious in the Leopard Light category while Mawson competed in the Cadets class. For Randle, he will make a quick stopover in his hometown of Melbourne before hitting the road with his father Dean tomorrow on route to Dubbo. “I think the trip back home is going to be quite long and exhausting but I think I’ll cope ok with it, especially because I’m excited about racing on a great track like Dubbo,” said Randle.
“The Dubbo track is definitely a challenge, it’s quite long and is a circuit that if you make a mistake, it could cost you a lot of time. After racing in England on the weekend I can confirm that the level of competition here in Australia is up there with the best, this weekend will be no different. “Whoever wins at the Rotax Nationals will certainly have earned the victory this weekend, it’s going to be very tough.” More than 160 entries have been received for this weekend’s event with practice beginning on Thursday ahead of qualifying and the heat races on Saturday. The pre-finals and finals will be contested on Sunday. The Lincoln County Raceway is located on the Newell Highway, just north of Dubbo. Rotax Nationals Honour Roll Rotax Light Rotax Heavy Junior Max Previous Venues
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